A couple reaches out to neighborhood doyenne Sheila Bridges to bring new light and life to their historic Harlem brownstone

Living Room

Living Room

"Buy local" is a phrase commonly associated with greenmarkets and farm stands. But when a high-powered Manhattan attorney ditched a Chelsea apartment to purchase a brownstone in Harlem, he and his partner wanted to apply the same principle that works for tomatoes and peaches to their new home's interior design. So they hired decorator Sheila Bridges, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than two decades, and charged her with the task of turning the 5,000-square-foot house into an elegant, welcoming retreat in the city. Says the client, "I thought someone who knew this part of town would understand how to get things done here and would be in tune with the community."

In the living room of a Harlem townhouse designed by Sheila Bridges, the sofa and armchairs are by George Smith, the cocktail table is from BK Antiques, and the cabinet is a custom design; the drawing at left is by Graham Nickson, the rug is by Stephanie Odegard Collection, and the walls are painted in Farrow & Ball Estate Emulsion in Light Blue.

Entry

Entry

For Bridges, whose recent projects have taken her from Martha's Vineyard to Denver, the chance to work close to home again was appealing. "It was such a pleasure to do a job in my own backyard," she says. "I get tired of getting on and off airplanes. And I love Harlem."

What's more, Bridges is in tune not just with her neighborhood, but also with the unique challenges posed by the brownstones that line so many of its streets—and those of the rest of the city. "Most of these buildings are sandwiched between other brownstones," she says, "so the sunlight is generally coming from only the front and back of the house. Part of my job is to create the illusion of light where it doesn't exist." By using a soft, luminous palette for this project, she aimed to "make the spaces flow together without seeming tunnellike," she says.

A bust of Napoleon in the entry; the wallcovering is by Holland & Sherry, and the sisal stair runner is by Stark Carpet.